Sinne Eeg and the Danish Radio Big Band: We've Just Begun review – believe the hype

So many superlatives have been showered upon Danish singer Sinne Eeg that you wonder whether anyone could be that good – or was this yet another case of flawless but cold perfection? Well, this album says she’s certainly that good. Along with all the usual qualifications (time, intonation, phrasing) she has an attractive, flexible voice, sings and writes songs in two languages, and improvises perfect wordless scat. And there’s an easy, unhurried, at-home aura around it all which has nothing to do with technique.

The programme is roughly half-and-half originals and standards, and if you didn’t already know, you wouldn’t find it easy to guess which was which. The tunes are proper melodies and the words make sense, the title number being especially good. Of the standards, the lazy-tempo Comes Love is simply gorgeous.

Finally, if you’re wondering what happened to singers with big bands, look no further, because Eeg shares the limelight with the Danish Radio Big Band, among the best of the great radio bands that adorn north European airwaves. This isn’t mere accompaniment. The 10 tracks are filled with fascinating orchestral textures, dotted with brief but tasty solos.